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A Message of Greeting by MEP Filiz Hyusmenova to the Participants… |
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A Message of Greeting by MEP Filiz Hyusmenova to the Participants in the Seminar “Muslim Women in the Media” organized by her and other MEPs in Brussels April 2007 Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to greet you at this forum on how Muslim women are featured by the media.
We are living in times when events in even the remotest country become known to the world in minutes. In such situations the media are the key tool of presenting reality. Depending on their attention to a subject, it may become urgent or neglected. The media can provoke social and political attitudes.
Diversity is the reality in the European Union. The EU is an alliance of minorities, as it comprises nations and ethnic groups within them that all together form the pulsating Community of the Old Continent. Each of them is unique and significant. In this context the Islam women residing permanently in Europe are one of the faces of diversity.
Objectivity presupposes their equal treatment when featuring them in the media. It is true, however, that many articles about them are based on conflict situations or social discussions on religious issues (this also refers generally to most subjects covered by the media).
It is also true that many within the Union framework believe that the Muslim woman is subject to passive development through stereotypes, prejudices and clichés. But we have to admit that both facts are not the result of only certain attitude or a striving to affirm new stereotypes for these women. True enough, both the media and the society in Europe do not know well Muslim women, do not know how these women regard themselves, what they think of themselves, what are their guiding principles in everyday life. And lack of information is a reason for adding to it alternative visions about this group.
This makes me certain that Muslim women should stand up before the media with dignity, let them into their own world and provoke their sympathy towards their own life. It will help Europe understand them and assist in portraying an objective image of these women. This will put an end to the myths about Muslim women and will mark the beginning of the story of their real life, real emotions, and real goals. Along this difficult road, I believe that the media will be our worthy partners who will dare to look under the yashmaks and assess the personality, not just her religious beliefs. Because Muslim women as citizens of the EU enjoy all its rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me thank you for your presence here today and to encourage you to maintain the current public debate as a key factor for positively changing the vision of Muslim women in the media.
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